Theodore C. Sorensen, the studious, star-struck aide and alter ego to President John F. Kennedy whose crisp, poetic turns of phrase helped idealize and immortalize a tragically brief administration, died Sunday. He was 82.

Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin remembers sitting down for a meeting at the White House with the rest of the Democratic leadership a month ago, when President Obama promised he was blowing up his schedule to try to help keep control of Congress.

In the shadow of the William Jefferson Clinton Presidential Library, an ironic occurrence is taking shape. As the former two-term president traverses the country, rallying support for Democrats facing tough electoral prospects, his party is bracing for severe losses in his home state of Arkansas.

Comedy Central hosts Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert will hold the "Rally to Restore Sanity" and the "March to Keep Fear Alive" on the National Mall on Saturday, with thousands expected to flood in from across the country.

In one spot, a moderate Republican congressman is portrayed as a demon sheep -- a threat to the Republican flock. In another ad, a candidate for governor declares to viewers, "I'm one tough nerd!" And, of course, there's the now-infamous "I am not a witch" spot.

A Nevada group supporting a change in how judges in the state are selected has apologized for political "robocalls" featuring retired Justice Sandra Day O'Connor, which were mistakenly sent out in the middle of the night.

I was born in Haiti, but I am a citizen of the world. When I was with the Fugees, we played a concert to benefit Tibet to help Tibetans fight, and we stepped up to give voice to those being slaughtered in Rwanda. When the Twin Towers went down on 9/11, I played in the benefit show. It feels natural to me to take a stand on issues that are important to all citizens of this great world.

A federal appeals court has ruled against an Arizona law that requires residents to prove their U.S. citizenship to register to vote, but upheld a part of the same law that mandates residents to show identification before voting.

The trial of a man charged in the 2001 killing of Chandra Levy opened Monday with emotional testimony from a woman who was attacked by the suspect just weeks after the Washington intern's disappearance.

In a previous posting about voting issues, I mentioned J. Alex Halderman, an assistant professor of engineering and computer science at the University of Michigan, whose "resume" includes hacking into voting machines in the name of exposing security flaws.

Republicans lashed out Friday after the Connecticut secretary of state said poll workers would have the right to ask voters wearing World Wrestling Entertainment merchandise to cover up because it could be considered campaigning.

President Barack Obama told a friendly backyard gathering Thursday that he was so focused on getting the policy right on helping the economy recover that he didn't devote enough energy to advertising the benefits.

Anita Hill, whose accusations of sexual harassment almost derailed Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas' high court nomination, has no plans to apologize for the charges she made nearly two decades ago.

Tuesday, October 19, 2010

Lawmakers in at least 14 states announced Tuesday they are working on legislation to deny U.S. citizenship to the children of illegal immigrants, although they weren't specific about how they plan to do it.

American taxpayers have forked over around half a trillion dollars to U.S. intelligence services since the 9/11 attacks, yet nearly a decade after al Qaeda assaults on New York and Washington, the American intelligence community still cannot answer the most basic of questions:

The death this month of British aid worker Linda Norgrove in Afghanistan and the subsequent discussion about aid worker safety have fueled a row between the United States and nongovernmental organizations about how to deliver aid and do development work in conflict zones like Afghanistan and Pakistan.

Editor's note: There are 15 days to go before voters cast ballots in the hotly contested midterm elections. In this special feature, CNN's political contributors share their quick thoughts on what's making news.

Sunday, October 17, 2010

President Barack Obama pleaded with Democratic voters to keep hope alive and warned about Republicans making congressional gains in an Ohio speech Sunday that comes just weeks before the midterm elections.

Saturday, October 16, 2010

With the congressional elections fast approaching, President Barack Obama acknowledged Saturday that the hope and energy he stirred during his presidential campaign may have faded in the face of a grinding economic crisis.

President Barack Obama stepped into the Massachusetts gubernatorial race Saturday to rally for friend and political ally Deval Patrick, who is struggling to overcome the anti-incumbent mood that has swept across the country during this election season.

Talk about burying the hatchet. When former President Bill Clinton turned out to rally for California Democratic gubernatorial nominee Jerry Brown on Friday night, the former rivals hugged and made up.

Editor's note: There are 19 days to go before voters cast ballots in the hotly contested midterm elections. In this special feature, CNN's political contributors share their quick thoughts on what's making news.

The Obama administration has announced efforts to encourage health insurance companies to continue to sell child-only insurance policies under the Affordable Care Act that took effect less than a month ago.

Editor's note: There are 20 days to go before voters cast ballots in the hotly contested midterm elections. In this special feature, CNN's political contributors share their quick thoughts on what's making news.

Tuesday, October 12, 2010

California's gubernatorial candidates engaged in heated exchanges over taxes, job creation and public employee unions in a final debate Tuesday that quickly degenerated into verbal jousting and personal attacks on issues that have dominated the campaign.

Editor's note: There are 21 days to go before voters cast ballots in the hotly contested midterm elections. In this special feature, CNN's political contributors share their quick thoughts on what's making news. Alex Castellanos is a founding partner of National Media Inc. amd served as media consultant to the presidential campaigns of Bob Dole, George H.W. Bush, George W. Bush, Phil Gramm and Mitt Romney. James Carville is a Democratic strategist who serves as a political contributor for CNN, appearing frequently on CNN's "The Situation Room" as well as other programs on all CNN networks. Carville remains active in Democratic politics and is a party fundraiser.

A Republican candidate running for U.S. Congress says his past donning of a Nazi outfit was part of a historical lesson -- and that his hobby of military re-enactments has been taken out of context amid national controversy.

A Republican candidate running for U.S. Congress says his past donning of a Nazi outfit was part of a historical lesson -- and that his hobby of military re-enactments has been taken out of context amid national controversy.

In a very clever television advertisement, Delaware Senate candidate Christine O'Donnell looks directly at the camera and says to voters: "I'm not a witch. ... I'm you." In another ad, O'Donnell says that unlike her Democratic opponent Chris Coons, "I didn't go to Yale. I didn't inherit millions like my opponent. I'm you."

New York Republican gubernatorial candidate Carl Paladino criticized gays Sunday, saying he didn't want children "to be brainwashed into thinking that homosexuality is an equally valid or successful option," compared to heterosexuality.

Sunday, October 10, 2010

New York Republican gubernatorial candidate Carl Paladino criticized gays Sunday, saying he didn't want children "to be brainwashed into thinking that homosexuality is an equally valid or successful option," compared to heterosexuality.

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce this week is airing more than $10 million in advertising in some of the most competitive House and Senate races, a massive infusion by the business lobby against Democratic candidates in about 30 contests.

Editor's note: There are 26 days to go before voters cast ballots in the hotly contested midterm elections. In this special feature, CNN's political contributors share their quick thoughts on what's making news.

The Obama administration vastly underestimated the tens of thousands of barrels of oil pouring into the Gulf of Mexico after the Deepwater Horizon disaster despite contrary information from scientists using better methodologies, a report by the staff for a national panel investigating the response said Wednesday.

When the Norwegian Nobel Committee announced a year ago this month that President Obama would be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, Michael Steele criticized the decision and pointedly asked what had Obama accomplished to deserve such a high honor?

Wednesday, October 6, 2010

The Obama administration blocked efforts by government scientists to tell the public just how bad the Gulf oil spill could become, according to a commission appointed by the president to investigate the disaster.

Democratic candidates hold a narrow advantage in the run-up to November's congressional elections in California where big-spending Republican Meg Whitman is struggling in the race for governor, a Reuters/Ipsos poll found on Tuesday.

White House spokesman Robert Gibbs is pouring cold water on the red-hot speculation -- fueled by journalist Bob Woodward in a CNN interview -- that President Barack Obama may create a so-called "dream ticket" of Obama-Clinton in his 2012 re-election battle.

The Democrats hold a narrow advantage in California where big-spending Republican Meg Whitman is struggling, as Democrats show increased enthusiasm about voting on November 2, a Reuters/Ipsos poll found on Tuesday.George W. Bush - Democratic - Rob Portman - Ohio - United States

Matthew Snyder's funeral was to be a private affair, with family and friends gathering at a Catholic church to mourn the 20-year-old Marine who died a hero in Iraq, serving his country. But Matt's father says his grief was compounded by anger and helplessness because of about a dozen unwanted visitors, a fringe group standing at the center of a constitutional showdown.

By the end of this week, voters in ten states will have started casting ballots. In all, 36 states and the District of Columbia have adopted some form of pre-Election Day voting. And it’s not only convenient for voters – it’s changing the way campaigns are run.